A hypervisor is the engine that runs virtual machines. It controls resource allocation, isolation, and performance, making virtualization and modern cloud infrastructure possible.

Two types of hypervisors Type 1 — Bare-metal

Runs directly on the hardware.

Examples: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V (server edition), Xen.

Fast, stable, used in data centers.

Type 2 — Hosted

Runs on top of an existing operating system.

Examples: VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, Parallels.

Easier to install, good for personal use and development.